07/21/1947 Letter from the Aero Service Corporation

Letter from C.M. Hodell, Vice President of The Aero Service Corporation, to Louis-Philippe Gagné.https://digitalcommons.usm.maine.edu/fac-lpg-1947-07-09/1008/thumbnail.jp

WHEN BATTERED PERSONS KILL: THE IMPACT OF GENDER STEREOTYPES ON MOCK JUROR PERCEPTIONS

The present experiment investigated the role of gender stereotypes in cases in which a battered person kills his or her abuser. Regression analysis revealed an overall gender bias such that mock jurors were more likely to convict a man defendant who had killed his abusive wife than they were when a woman defendant who had killed her husband. Mediational analyses indicated that the relationship between abuser gender and verdict was partially mediated by sympathy toward the victim, and fully mediated by sympathy toward the defendant. Regression analysis also revealed an effect of abuser height, such that conviction rates were higher when an abuser was taller than his or her partner, regardless of abuser gender. Though not significant, trends suggested the act of killing an abusive partner was perceived as a protective act toward the child. Overall, the present study provides evidence that gender biases exist in cases in which a battered person kills his or her abuser

The Effects of Repeated Global Self-Adapted Testing on Online Statistics Performance

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a computerized academic testing format. Centered on the motivating and stress-reducing aspects of personal control, a modified form of global self-adapted testing (GSAT) was explored to help students who are challenged by test anxiety or low academic motivation. Forty-two students completed multiple GSATs throughout one semester of college-level, online statistics. Of those students, 20 volunteered to complete an academic motivation questionnaire at the beginning of the semester. The relationships between scores on the motivation questionnaire, GSAT use characteristics, and statistics performance were analyzed. Students who used the GSATs correctly approached more challenging questions and performed better on exams than did students who used the GSATs incorrectly. However, the class that experienced the GSAT intervention did not differ significantly on exam scores when compared to a class that did not experience the GSAT intervention. We concluded that GSAT did not improve statistics performance. Confounds which could have limited the results of this study are discussed

Mode transitions in Northern Hemisphere glaciation: co-evolution of millennial and orbital variability in Quaternary climate

We present a 3.2 Myr record of stable isotopes and physical properties at IODP Site U1308 (reoccupation of DSDP Site 609) located within the ice-rafted detritus (IRD) belt of the North Atlantic. We compare the isotope and lithological proxies at Site U1308 with other North Atlantic records (e.g., sites 982, 607/U1313, and U1304) to reconstruct the history of orbital and millennial-scale climate variability during the Quaternary. The Site U1308 record documents a progressive increase in the intensity of Northern Hemisphere glacial–interglacial cycles during the late Pliocene and Quaternary, with mode transitions at ~ 2.7, 1.5, 0.9, and 0.65 Ma. These transitions mark times of change in the growth and stability of Northern Hemisphere ice sheets. They also coincide with increases in vertical carbon isotope gradients between the intermediate and deep ocean, suggesting changes in deep carbon storage and atmospheric CO$_2$. Orbital and millennial climate variability co-evolved during the Quaternary such that the trend towards larger and thicker ice sheets was accompanied by changes in the style, frequency, and intensity of millennial-scale variability. This co-evolution may be important for explaining the observed patterns of Quaternary climate change.National Science Foundation (Grant IDs: 0850413, 1014506), Natural Environment Research Council (Grant ID: NE/H009930/1

Coupled ocean-land millennial-scale changes 1.26millionyears ago, recorded at Site U1385 off Portugal

While a growing body of evidence indicates that North Atlantic millennial-scale climate variability extends to the Early Pleistocene, its impact on terrestrial ecosystems has not been established. Here we present ultra-high resolution (70–140 year) joint foraminiferal isotopic and pollen analyses from IODP Site U1385 off Portugal, focusing on a short glacial section of Marine Isotope Stage 38, ~ 1.26 million years ago. Our records reveal the presence of millennial-scale variability in the coupled ocean–atmosphere-land system in the North Atlantic and provide the first direct evidence for the response of western Iberian vegetation to abrupt climate changes in the Early Pleistocene. The magnitude and pacing of changes bear significant similarities to Dansgaard-Oeschger variability of the Late/Middle Pleistocene.The work was funded by a Leverhulme Trust Research Project Grant (RPG2014-41) and a Natural Environment Research Council Grant (NE/K005804/1). This research used samples and data provided by the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP).This is the accepted manuscript. It first appeared at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gloplacha.2015.10.00

Detection of significant climatic precession variability in early Pleistocene glacial cycles

Despite having a large influence on summer insolation, climatic precession is thought to account for little variance in early Pleistocene proxies of ice volume and deep-water temperature. Various mechanisms have been suggested to account for the dearth of precession variability, including meridional insolation gradients, interhemispheric cancellation of ice-volume changes, and antiphasing between the duration and intensity of summer insolation. We employ a method termed Empirical Nonlinear Orbital Fitting (ENOF) to estimate the amplitudes of obliquity and precession forcing in early Pleistocene proxies and their respective leads or lags relative to the timing of orbital variations. Analysis of a high-resolution North Atlantic benthic δ18O record, comprising data from IODP sites U1308 and U1313, indicates a significantly larger precession contribution than previously recognized, with an average precession-to-obliquity amplitude ratio of 0.51 (0.30-0.76 95% confidence interval) in the rate-of-change of δ18O between 3 and 1 Ma. Averaged when eccentricity exceeds 0.05, this ratio rises to an average of 1.18 (0.84-1.53). Additional support for precession’s importance in the early Pleistocene comes from its estimated amplitude covarying with eccentricity, analyses of other benthic δ18O records yielding similar orbital amplitude ratios, and use of an orbitally-independent timescale also showing significant precession. Precession in phase with Northern Hemisphere summer intensity steadily intensifies throughout the Pleistocene, in agreement with its more common identification during the late Pleistocene. A Northern Hemisphere ice sheet and energy balance model run over the early Pleistocene predicts orbital amplitudes consistent with observations when a cooling commensurate with North Atlantic sea surface temperatures is imposed. These results provide strong evidence that glaciation is influenced by climatic precession during the late Pliocene and early Pleistocene, and are consistent with hypotheses that glaciation is controlled by Northern Hemisphere summer insolation.NERC NE/R000204/1 EPSRC EP/S030417/

Online Differential Thermal Isotope Analysis of Hydration Water in Minerals by Cavity Ringdown Laser Spectroscopy.

We have developed a new method for measuring the isotopic composition (δ18O and δD) of different types of bonded water (e.g., molecular water, hydroxyl) contained in hydrated minerals by coupling a thermal gravimeter (TG) and a cavity ringdown laser spectrometer (CRDS). The method involves precisely step-heating a mineral sample, allowing the separation of the different types of waters that are released at different temperatures. Simultaneously, the water vapor evolved from the mineral sample is analyzed for oxygen and hydrogen isotopes by CRDS. Isotopic values for the separate peaks are calculated by integrating the product of the water amounts and its isotopic values, after correcting for background. We provide examples of the application of the differential thermal isotope analysis (DTIA) method to a variety of hydrous minerals and mineraloids including gypsum, clays, and amorphous silica (opal). The isotopic compositions of the total water evolved from a set of natural gypsum samples by DTIA are compared with the results of a conventional offline water extraction method followed by CRDS analysis. The results from both methods are in excellent agreement, and precisions (1σ) for δ18O (±0.12‰) and δD (±0.8‰) of the total gypsum hydration water from the DTIA method are comparable to that obtained by the offline method. A range of analytical challenges and solutions (e.g., spectroscopic interferences produced by VOCs in natural samples, isotopic exchange with structural oxygen, etc.) are discussed. The DTIA method has wide ranging applications for addressing fundamental problems across many disciplines in earth and planetary sciences, including paleoclimatology, sedimentology, volcanology, water exchange between the solid earth and hydrosphere, and water on Mars and other planetary bodies

Similar millennial climate variability on the Iberian margin during two early Pleistocene glacials and MIS 3

Although millennial-scale climate variability (<10 ka) has been well studied during the last glacial cycles, little is known about this important aspect of climate in the early Pleistocene, prior to the Middle Pleistocene Transition. Here we present an early Pleistocene climate record at centennial resolution for two representative glacials (marine isotope stages (MIS) 37–41 from approximately 1235 to 1320 ka) during the “41 ka world” at Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Site U1385 (the “Shackleton Site”) on the southwest Iberian margin. Millennial-scale climate variability was suppressed during interglacial periods (MIS 37, MIS 39, and MIS 41) and activated during glacial inceptions when benthic δ^18O exceeded 3.2‰. Millennial variability during glacials MIS 38 and MIS 40 closely resembled Dansgaard-Oeschger events from the last glacial (MIS 3) in amplitude, shape, and pacing. The phasing of oxygen and carbon isotope variability is consistent with an active oceanic thermal bipolar see-saw between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres during most of the prominent stadials. Surface cooling was associated with systematic decreases in benthic carbon isotopes, indicating concomitant changes in the meridional overturning circulation. A comparison to other North Atlantic records of ice rafting during the early Pleistocene suggests that freshwater forcing, a s proposed for the late Pleistocene, was involved in triggering or amplifying perturbations of the North Atlantic circulation that elicited a bipolar see-saw response. Our findings support similarities in the operation of the climate system occurring on millennial time scales before and after the Middle Pleistocene Transition despite the increases in global ice volume and duration of the glacial cycles.This work was made possible by a DAAD scholarship and NERC Grant NE/K005804/1.This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Wiley via http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/2015PA00286

Mode transitions in Northern Hemisphere glaciation: co-evolution of millennial and orbital variability in Quaternary climate

We present a 3.2 Myr record of stable isotopes and physical properties at IODP Site U1308 (reoccupation of DSDP Site 609) located within the ice-rafted detritus (IRD) belt of the North Atlantic. We compare the isotope and lithological proxies at Site U1308 with other North Atlantic records (e.g., sites 982, 607/U1313, and U1304) to reconstruct the history of orbital and millennial-scale climate variability during the Quaternary. The Site U1308 record documents a progressive increase in the intensity of Northern Hemisphere glacial–interglacial cycles during the late Pliocene and Quaternary, with mode transitions at  ∼  2.7, 1.5, 0.9, and 0.65 Ma. These transitions mark times of change in the growth and stability of Northern Hemisphere ice sheets. They also coincide with increases in vertical carbon isotope gradients between the intermediate and deep ocean, suggesting changes in deep carbon storage and atmospheric CO2. Orbital and millennial climate variability co-evolved during the Quaternary such that the trend towards larger and thicker ice sheets was accompanied by changes in the style, frequency, and intensity of millennial-scale variability. This co-evolution may be important for explaining the observed patterns of Quaternary climate change

Rhizon sampler alteration of deep ocean sediment interstitial water samples, as indicated by chloride concentration and oxygen and hydrogen isotopes

Despite their potential to inform past ocean salinity, δ^(18)O, and temperature, high-resolution depth profiles of interstitial water chloride concentration and hydrogen and oxygen isotopes exist in very few locations. One of the primary limitations to the recovery of these depth profiles is that traditional interstitial water sampling requires 5–10 cm whole rounds of the sediment core, which has the potential to interfere with stratigraphic continuity. The Rhizon sampler, a nondestructive tool developed for terrestrial sediment interstitial water extraction, has been proposed for efficient and nondestructive sampling of ocean sediment pore waters. However, there exists little documentation on the reliability and performance of Rhizon samplers in deep ocean sediments, particularly in regard to their effect on chloride concentration and oxygen and hydrogen isotopic measurements. We perform an intercomparison of chloride concentration and oxygen and hydrogen isotopic composition in samples taken using traditional squeezing versus those taken with Rhizon samplers. We find that samples taken with Rhizons have positive biases in both chloride concentration and stable isotopic ratios relative to those taken by squeezing water from sediments in a hydraulic press. The measured offsets between Rhizon and squeeze samples are consistent with a combination of absorption by and diffusive fractionation through the hydrophilic membrane of the Rhizon sampler. These results suggest caution is needed when using Rhizons for sampling interstitial waters in any research of processes that leave a small signal-to-noise ratio in dissolved concentrations or isotope ratios